Stuff-Review

Fujifilm X100S camera announced with fast AF and new 16.3MP X-Trans II sensor (hands-on video)

2018-10-04T06:30:16Z

Although the official announcement by Fujifilm is pegged to happen tomorrow, the company’s UK website proved too eager to keep this camera under wraps for any longer. The Fujifilm X100S is the proud successor of the X100 APS-C fixed lens camera and has been revealed through a press release on its website. We’ve always said that Fujifilm listens to its customers and critics and the new X100S really keeps all the good parts of the X100 and improves on the not-so-good parts.

When we reviewed the X100 our main issue with it was its slow performance, both to autofocus (AF) and in general operation. Well, Fujifilm now claims that the new X100S has the world’s fastest AF of just 0.08 seconds under certain circumstances, a start-up time of around 0.5 seconds and a shooting interval of 0.5 seconds.

These improvements are thanks to a new EXR Processor II and also a new 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II that includes phase detection pixels. This allows the camera to combine contrast with phase detection in order to improve autofocus performance.

Astute readers would have also noted that the new X100S will offer an improvement in image quality as well. The X100 sported a 12.3 megapixel standard Bayer array CMOS sensor, whereas the X100S is now sporting the company’s unique X-Trans sensor that does away with any anti-alias filter for better resolution and crisper images — Fujifilm claims an increase in resolution by about 25% and reduction in noise by more than 30% over the X100. This is in fact a second generation sensor over the one found in the X-Pro1 and X-E1, but we would guess that the main improvement over the first generation X-Trans sensor is the inclusion of the phase detection pixels.

Fujifilm X-Trans CMOS sensor vs. conventional CMOS

Fujifilm also has some tasty bits for fans of manual focusing — an impossible feat with the original X100. A new “Digital Split Image” feature shows dual images on the left and right of the screen to be lined up during manual focusing. There’s also the much-demanded focus peaking option that up to now was only found in Sony cameras.

Other improvements include a new hybrid viewfinder with a high-resolution 2.36 million dot EVF, same resolution as in the X-E1, and there is now a full HD (1080p) 60fps movie mode. Fuji will also be offering an external microphone with a USB adapter that will connect to the X100S.

Otherwise, the X100S maintains the same versatile 23mm f/2 lens (35mm full-frame equivalent), same 2.8-inch 460k dot rear display and the same design as the X100 with the full specs just below

Summary specifications:

16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor
EXR Processor II
High Definition Hybrid Viewfinder (OVF / EVF)
FUJINON 23mm f/2 lens
Intelligent Hybrid AF (with the world’s fastest AF speed of 0.08 secs (*1))
Start-up time of 0.5 secs
Shutter time lag of 0.01 secs
Shooting interval of 0.5 secs
High-contrast and wide viewing-angle 2.8-inch Premium Clear LCD (460K dots)
Super Intelligent Flash
Burst shooting rate of up to 6 frames per second at full resolution (max. 29 frames)
Focus Peak Highlight function
Digital Split Image display
Artistic filters
Full HD movie recording (60fps / 30fps)

There is no word on price and availability yet but we would guess this to go for around $1,200.

UPDATE: Pricing confirmed at $1299.95 and the X100S will be shipping by end-March 2013. You can pre-order the X100S from Amazon US here.

Hands-on video (includes autofocus speed and manual focus peaking assist and digital split image demos)

Specs overview video

[Source: Fujifilm UK]The post Fujifilm X100S camera announced with fast AF and new 16.3MP X-Trans II sensor (hands-on video) first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Supposed Sony Nexus X images leak

2018-08-03T07:41:50Z

One upcoming Nexus smartphone is a sure thing, the LG Nexus 4, but could Google have partnered with more hardware vendors for multiple Nexus devices this time round? There have been persistent rumors that this could be true, and here we have a purported leak of a Nexus device made by Sony.

The blurry photos you see here were posted on Picasa and titled Sony Nexus X. We’re seeing a device styled much like Sony’s Xperia line but with on-screen navigation buttons and Google’s logo joining Sony’s on the back, but based on the quality of the photos this could very well be a fake. So what do you think?

As for additional info, none was provided, and this is the first time any news of a Sony Nexus device leaks.

[via Xperiablog, image source Picasa]The post Supposed Sony Nexus X images leak first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Asus 4.7-inch Padfone 2 demoed in video with new slimmer tablet dock

2018-10-04T11:00:33Z

ASUS is a pretty innovative hardware company. It pretty much rules in the motherboard space and fed the netbook craze by pumping out new models practically every week. So, when we first saw the original Padfone we were impressed but not surprised. The Padfone was the ultimate all in one device, a 4.3-inch smartphone that could slide into a tablet dock to take on slate form which could then dock with a keyboard to become a notebook.

Unfortunately, the Padfone hardly found its way to the international market after being unveiled early this year, but fortunately, you may (hopefully) soon be able to pick up its successor. ASUS has a launch event scheduled in Milan on October 16th, which you can watch live, for the unveiling of the Padfone 2.

The second iteration of the Padfone will have a larger 4.7-inch 720p display, run on a quad-core SoC with LTE connectivity and sport a 13-megapixel rear camera. More importantly, the Padfone 2 tablet dock is now much slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, which admittedly was quite chunky — we’re sure to the dismay of owners of the original Padfone smartphone/dock who’ll find their devices incompatible with the newer version, but that’s life in the fast-moving tech world.

Well if you are anxious to know, and see, more of the Padfone 2, Bloomberg TV India interviewed ASUS CEO Jerry Shen, who demoed the device on video, both as standalone and in tablet form. For the Padfone 2 you might want to skip to the 1:45 minute mark, otherwise you can indulge in the full ASUS fall product series extravaganza that includes a laptop with a dual display that can fold into a tablet.

I think the Padfone is a pretty neat idea, first you have all your data and apps on one device, no need to set up a smartphone and tablet separately and keep them synced. Second, you would only use one device at a time anyway so why not share the internals between them. If you get a call while in tablet mode the Padfone had an awesome stylus that doubled as a James Bond-style headset that I’m sure will find its way into the Padfone 2.

[Image credit: @evleaks (Twitter)]The post Asus 4.7-inch Padfone 2 demoed in video with new slimmer tablet dock first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Upcoming Google Nexus 4 smartphone by LG poses for camera in leaked pics

2012-10-13T09:39:17Z

Whether it’s going to be called the Nexus 4, Nexus G or Optimus Nexus it’s now pretty much a sure thing that LG is going to be Google’s next Nexus hardware partner. We’ve already seen hazy photos of the rumored device making the rounds but now the folks over at the Belarusian Onliner got their hands on a pre-production LG Nexus and just published a bunch of beauty shots of the LG Nexus. They’ve even done us the favor of doing a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 5.

The LG Nexus 4 device going by the model number E960 (a.k.a. Mako) will feature a 4.7-inch display with a 1280 x 768 resolution and run on a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC and 2GB of RAM. The device Onliner got hold of came with a relatively paltry 8GB of internal storage and an 8-megapixel rear camera, though we’re hoping that at least the former will get a bump up in the production model.

It’s also currently running Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, but we’re sure that by the time it hits release it’s going to sport a newer (and shinier) version of Android, probably Android 4.2 — though unknown whether it will actually be Android Key Lime Pie or an incremental version bump of Jelly Bean.

If earlier rumors prove right, we should be expecting an official announcement of the new device by October 29th. For now you can feast your eyes on the sparkly back and a very Galaxy Nexus-like front, bar the silver rim. Oh, and be sure to check out our review of the Galaxy Nexus, the incumbent flagship Nexus smartphone.

And here are some sample photos taken with the LG Nexus 4:

The post Upcoming Google Nexus 4 smartphone by LG poses for camera in leaked pics first appeared on Stuff-Review.

First assembled iPad mini pictures supposedly leak

2012-09-11T13:58:46Z

Apple’s long-rumored iPhone 5, iPad mini and iOS 6 event is tomorrow and although we’ve seen purported parts of the new smaller iPad, we had yet to see a finished assembled product.

Now a French website has published a number of photos, which could potentially show the iPad mini. As a reminder, the iPad mini has been rumored to feature a smaller 7.85-inch display with a 1024 x 768 (non retina) resolution, similar to the iPad 2’s resolution. The iPad mini would also come with an Apple A5X processor (like the iPad 3) and the new smaller dock connector.

We’ve included one more picture after the break and will let you make your own conclusions.

[nowhereelse (in French)]

The post First assembled iPad mini pictures supposedly leak first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Fujifilm X-E1 coverage: previews and sample images (video)

2018-08-03T07:44:10Z

As expected, the Fujifilm X-E1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) was announced last week. It is a cheaper and more compact version of the X-Pro1, with the same excellent APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor, sans any anti-aliasing filter, but missing the innovative hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder.

Instead, the X-E1 features a 2.36-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder, and you really can’t get much better than that. It is the same resolution as the Sony OLED EVF we were so excited about in the Sony NEX-7, A65 and A77, and we bet this is Sony-made too, though it’s rumored to be an updated version with better contrast. The X-E1 also gets a slightly smaller, 2.8-inch, and lower resolution, 460k dots, screen than the X-Pro1, to keep costs under control.

One of the main criticisms against the X-Pro1 and X100 (which we thoroughly reviewed here) was the slow autofocus and operating speed. Fujifilm is a company that listens, and claims the X-E1 can now focus in 0.1 seconds with the new Fujinon XF 18-55 F2.8-4 R LM OIS zoom lens which we was part of Fuji’s 2012-13 lens roadmap for the system. The camera also features a 0.05 second shutter lag, 0.5 second quick start (you can see our startup test of the X100 here) and 6 frames per second burst shooting.

The X-E1 is 30% smaller than the X-Pro1 and weighs around 350g. It does still retain the same excellent build quality with the top and front covers die-cast from magnesium alloy, though still not weather-sealed. Besides size, Fujifilm has also shrunk the price, and the X-E1 can be had in either all-black or two-tone silver and black for $1,000 or together with the XF18-55mm f2.8-4 zoom lens for $1,400 — in comparison the X-Pro1 will set you back $1,700 just for the body.

Gallery: Fujifilm X-E1

The camera is said to start shipping in November but we know you can’t wait to see more of it, so here’s a bunch of early preview videos.

First piece of gadget-porn comes from our favorite Canadian duo, the Fuji Guys:

Next up is a preview from TheCameraStoreTV:

And here is a bunch of other previews:

Below you can find a few sample pictures with more on Fujifilm’s website here — images may take a while to load.

Gallery: Fujifilm X-E1

Finally, here’s the full list of specs for the camera:

16.3 million effective pixels APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor
EXR image processor PRO
FUJIFILM X mount (for Fujinon XF Series Lens)
Ultra-high resolution 23.6 megapixel organic EL viewfinder
2.8 inch (460,000 pixels) LCD display (high contrast, high brightness and wide viewing angle)
Built-in pop-up flash (with hot shoe, which can be accessed outside the flash)
ISO 200 – 6400, expandable to ISO 100, 12800,25600 (ISO Auto is available ranges from ISO400-6400)
0.05 seconds shutter lag
Q (quick) button Quick menu settings
Built-in RAW conversion
Film simulation mode (Velvia, Astia, Provia, Monochrome, Sepia, PRO Neg Std & PRO Neg Hi)
Creative shooting functions include multiple exposure and panorama mode
Auto Bracketing (AE / ISO / DR & FS)
Full HD camera function
Microphone / shutter line interface (Φ2.5mm)
Single charge can take about 350 photos

We really can’t wait to get our hands on this camera and take it out for a day of shooting. We’ll certainly let you know more when we do.

The post Fujifilm X-E1 coverage: previews and sample images (video) first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Pogo Connect is a pressure sensitive Bluetooth 4.0 stylus for the iPad 3 and iPad mini

2012-09-10T19:39:37Z

People really like to draw on the iPad, even world famous artists, and that’s where styluses come in. The problem is that iPad styluses so far have simply been imitating your finger and relaying only their position through the touchscreen.

The Pogo Connect stylus from Ten One is about to add a whole new level of control by adding pressure sensitivity. The company claims hundreds of levels of pressure, requiring no calibration and working at all angles. The Pogo Connect will work with a number of popular iOS apps, like Brushes, Procreate and Paper that will interpret the level of pressure applied, for example, to change the thickness of the line you are drawing.

The stylus takes advantage of power-frugal Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, it’s actually a Bluetooth Smart device, to provide months of continuous use on a standard AAA battery. As such, it will only work with Bluetooth 4.0 iOS devices, i.e. the iPhone 4S and iPad 3 and Ten One is quick to jump the gun and announce compatibility with the new iPhone 5 and iPad mini. If you have an original iPad or iPad 2 you can use an iPhone 4S/5 to bridge the connection and use your current tablet.

If you happen to misplace the stylus there is an iOS app with a radar-style view to track it down; pretty nifty.

The only downside we can see is the possibility for some lag between moving the stylus and the result appearing on screen, particularly as the Pogo Connect adds this additional layer of complexity, though this remains to be seen in real use.

The device measures 5.1 inches (13 cm) long, and is 11.7 mm in diameter (about 16% thinner than a AA battery), while the tip is 7mm.

Pre-orders begin on October 1st and the Pogo Connect will set you back $80.

[Pogo Connect]The post Pogo Connect is a pressure sensitive Bluetooth 4.0 stylus for the iPad 3 and iPad mini first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Google’s Project Glass takes on the world of fashion at the Diane von Furstenberg catwalk show

2018-08-03T07:44:21Z

We’ve seen Google’s augmented reality eyewear in a variety of situations, worn by Google co-founder Sergey Brin at a charity event, in a TV interview with X Lab founder and even donned by skydivers parachuting on Moscone Center during Google I/O 2012 that saw the introduction of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but each time it was under then confines of Google’s own universe.

Well now Project Glass has broken free and has taken on the catwalk at New York’s Fashion Week. Diane von Furstenberg partnered with Google and the augmented reality glasses were donned by models backstage and on the runway and by members of the production team for the past week. The glasses were also donned by the designer herself who was seen sitting next to Sergey Brin during the DVF show.

Brin stated, beauty, style and comfort are as important to Glass as the latest technology. We are delighted to bring Glass to the runway together with DVF.

The augmented reality glasses, which offer the ability to take photos and video, have been used to capture the creative process behind the designer’s catwalk show and the result, titled “DVF through Glass”, will be screened on the label’s YouTube and Google+ pages this coming Thursday, September 13.

I am so excited to introduce Glass to the fashion world and use this revolutionary technology to give everyone a unique perspective into fashion, said Diane von Furstenberg of the collaboration with Google.

The post Google’s Project Glass takes on the world of fashion at the Diane von Furstenberg catwalk show first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Sony RX1 full-frame Zeiss Sonnar 35mm F2 mirrorless compact camera leaked

2012-09-10T10:23:04Z

Well here is something we weren’t expecting. A compact Sony camera has just leaked, which is supposed to feature a full-frame sensor. Judging from the relative size of the lens to the body, this would certainly take the reins as the smallest full-frame sensor camera.

The Sony RX1 is a fixed lens camera (like the Fujifilm X100), but not just any lens, it’s sporting a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2.0. The lens has a manual aperture ring, a hefty zoom ring and a sweet copper-colored ring engraved with “35mm Full-Frame CMOS Image Sensor”.

At the top you’ll find exposure compensation and mode dials, a pop-up flash port, hot shoe port and a shutter button and on/off switch that are quite similar to what we’ve seen in the Fuji X series cameras.

What we don’t see is a viewfinder port, which will certainly put some camera enthusiasts off this tight full-frame shooter, but Sony may offer the ability to install an external EVF.

There is no price or date attached to this leak, though Sony is having a big event this Wednesday September 12th.

UPDATE: Here are some preliminary leaked specs

24-megapixel full frame CMOS sensor (same as the one in the upcoming Sony A99 DSLT)
14 bit RAW processing
ISO range: 100-25,600
AVCHD 2.0 video
3-inch rear fixed LCD screen
Add-on optical and electronic viewfinders
5 fps burst
Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2.0 lens with 49mm filter thread
Magnesium body but not weather sealed
Price: $2,799

[Source: Photoprice.ca]The post Sony RX1 full-frame Zeiss Sonnar 35mm F2 mirrorless compact camera leaked first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Panasonic GH3 Micro Four Thirds camera specs leak

2018-08-03T07:44:39Z

With Photokina 2012 only a breath away, camera fans are gearing up for some exciting announcements. One of the most anticipated cameras is the Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GH3, and it really couldn’t come soon enough. The widely popular Panasonic GH2, having been announced at Photokina 2010 two years ago, has not only proved an incredible stills camera but has also won the hearts of videographers everywhere — just have a look at some examples here and here.

The GH series sits at the top of Panasonic’s mirroless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) line with integrated electronic viewfinder, DSLR-style body and handling and top of the line specs. However, although Olympus presented the incredible OM-D E-M5 this year, Panasonic has been quiet on the high-end front.

43Rumors has managed to get a long list of specs for the GH3 ahead of any announcement next week and it seems the wait has been worth it. Highlights include a new wide dynamic range sensor, control through iOS or Android apps, 3.5-inch audio in, XLR connectivity, a magnesium alloy body while Panasonic is claiming that the camera will have the fastest autofocus of any interchangeable lens camera.

Here is the full list of leaked specs:

16 Megapixel “Wide dynamic range” CMOS Sensor

New Venus 7 engine

Electronic shutter

ISO 100-12,800

6fps

Fastest AF of any interchangeable lens system camera

30p/25p in MP4, MOV and AVCHD at 50Mbps (72Mbps ALL-I)

Built-in stereo mic and 3.5-inch microphone in

Audio out

Time Code

1740k OLED LVF, Touch Monitor OLED 610k.

External battery grip

Wi-fi with remote control through iOS and Android Applications

PC control

External XLR accessory

Focus Peaking

Interval shooting and slow motion. Slow Movie extension (40%, 50%, 80%) Fast 160/ 200 / 300%

Magnesium alloy body that is bigger than the Panasonic GH2

The spec sheet is certainly far from complete, for example we don’t know if there is any weather sealing, there should also be a 24p video mode and we can’t figure out if PC control means perspective correction control or control from a personal computer, but it certainly gives a good idea of what to expect.

In any case the formal announcement shouldn’t be too far away now.

[Source: 43Rumors]The post Panasonic GH3 Micro Four Thirds camera specs leak first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Sweet Venus! Taste the entire solar system with these lollipops

2012-09-09T13:24:29Z

We have to admit that we never thought planets looked particularly tasty, but this series of lollipops is here to prove otherwise.

Over at Etsy you can grab a bunch of ten hard candy lollipops with images of the Sun, Mercury, Venus, good-old Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and even that poor demoted dwarf planet Pluto.

If that wasn’t enough, the back of the lollipops is black with silver edible glitter to simulate stars.

They are all pretty cool looking, and sound mighty yummy in either cotton candy or strawberry flavors, though a differently shaped Saturn that would accommodate its rings would have been even better.

The whole solar system in lollipops will set you back a measly $17.50 but they’ve proved so popular that you’ll have to wait until December. Better put your order in early for that space-loving person in your heart.

[Etsy via Cnet]The post Sweet Venus! Taste the entire solar system with these lollipops first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Tweaked HTC One X+ leaks: 1.6GHz quad-core Tegra 3 AP37, Sense 4.5 and Jelly Bean

2018-08-03T07:44:50Z

Let’s face it, you could do a lot worse than the HTC One X; after all, it sports one of the best displays out there and it proved a swift performer throughout our testing. Well, according to a purported leak, it now seems that the company’s flagship smartphone will be getting, together with a plus sign, a slight bump in specs.

An anonymous XDA developer going by the handle @Football4PDA has been actively tweeting on a number of new HTC devices and, in a latest tweet, has leaked a bunch of specs for the rumored HTC One X+ (previously leaked as Endeavour C2). The new device is said to feature a faster version of Nvidia’s Tegra 3 chip, the AP37, over the current AP33 found in the HTC One X. The new chip boasts slightly faster quad-core speeds of 1.6GHz and single-core speeds of 1.7GHz and 25% faster graphics performance, with the ability to drive displays up to 1920×1200.

The HTC One X+ is also said to ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and HTC’s Sense 4.5 user interface. Other specs are said to be the same, with 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and the same paltry 1,800mAh battery, despite a claimed increase in thickness to 9.3mm from 8.9mm of the HTC One X. The full dimensions of the One X+ are said to be 134.36 x 69.9 x 9.3mm, weighing 129g (HTC One X: 134.36 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm and 130g).

We would expect the design to be the same as the One X, though we are still hoping that HTC has somehow managed to squeeze an even bigger screen in the same body.

Either way, all will be revealed at HTC’s big New York event on September 19 together with a host of other devices.

Here is the list of reported specs:

Size: 134.36 x 69.9 x 9.3mm
Weight: 129g
NVIDIA AP37 1.6GHZ quad core, 1.7GHZ single core
Internal storage: 32GB
RAM: 1GB
Battery: 1800 mAh
OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4.5

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More affordable Fujifilm X-E1 leaks with EVF and pop-up flash (pictures)

2012-08-24T16:59:02Z

It only makes sense for Fujifilm to release more mirrorless bodies for its XF system, and it seems the lonely X-Pro1 will soon be getting a younger brother. Ahead of Photokina 2012, a new Fujifilm camera has leaked, the X-E1. It looks like a cross between the X-Pro1’s front and the X100’s (you can read our full review here) top.

Astute observers will note that there is no hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, but the viewfinder port in the back it tell-tale of a straight EVF. This makes sense as the X-E1 would be the more affordable choice for enthusiasts in comparison to the X-Pro1. We can also make out a pop-up flash port next to the hot shoe at the top.

Judging from the leaked pictures, both silver and black color fans will be pleased and for good measure the X-E1 has also been paired with the new XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R image stabilized zoom lens.

Obviously there is no price attached to this baby yet, but we’re hoping it’s quite below the $1,700 tag of X-Pro1 and perhaps even lower than the rumored X200.

[Source: Digicame (Japanese)]The post More affordable Fujifilm X-E1 leaks with EVF and pop-up flash (pictures) first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Fujifilm X100 discontinued, making way for the X200?

2012-10-26T21:15:51Z

It’s pretty hard to hold back on our love for the Fujifilm X100. The compact mirrorless APS-C shooter received a glowing review from us and was one of our favorite pieces of tech for 2011. This is no small part because of its innovative hybrid viewfinder, traditional control layout and awesome image quality. In fact, the shooting with the X100 was the most fun we’ve had in a while with a digital camera.

Well it seems that Fujifilm might be getting ready for a successor of this popular camera, if this product page on Crutchfield is to be believed. The vendor has marked the X100 as discontinued. As if that’s not enough evidence, the X100 has received a pretty remarkable $200 price drop on Amazon, B&H and Adorama coming down to $999.

With Photokina 2012 just around the corner, running between September 18 to 23, we might just guess that Fujifilm is making way for the X200. Just as a reminder, the X100 was announced almost two years ago at Photokina 2010, although the camera was only made available in the Spring of 2011 in limited quantities.

There is not much in the way of potential specs for the X100’s successor, but it would be pretty exciting to see what Fujifilm can pull out of its sleeve this time. Personally I’m betting on the X-Pro1’s new X-Trans CMOS sensor without a low-pass filter finding its way into the X200 or whatever it will be called.

Besides an X100 successor, we might also be looking at more goodies from Fujifilm. Most likely we will be seeing at least one more X-mount body joining the X-Pro1 together with the official unveiling of the 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 optically stabilized and 14mm f/2.8 prime lenses for the system.

UPDATE: No X100 successor this year, Fuji has announced the X-E1, an X-mount interchangeable lens camera. The X100 remains the compact king in Fuji’s line-up.

The post Fujifilm X100 discontinued, making way for the X200? first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Fujifilm shows X-Pro1 lens roadmap with a stabilized zoom and an ultra-wide prime coming this fall

2012-06-28T06:28:06Z

We are enamored with Fujifilm’s X-series of cameras, as one can attest after reading our X100 review here. When Fujifilm announced the interchangeable lens camera in the series, the X-Pro1, it could only be paired with three prime lenses with some lamenting the lack of a zoom lens and the kind of flexibility it offers.

Well, Fujifilm is certainly looking to expand the X-Pro1 lens universe with a number of new XF-mount lenses. The camera maker announced its lens roadmap for 2012 and 2013, with a 18-55mm, f/2.8-4.0 optically stabilized lens and a 14mm f/2.8 prime coming in the fall of 2012.

By 2013 we should also see the introduction of two more zoom lenses, an ultra wide-angle 10-24mm f/4.0 OIS lens and a 55-200mm, f/3.5-4.8 OIS telephoto. Fujifilm is also planning to release three more primes, including a pancake-type lens.

Below is the official press release:

FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES ROADMAP FOR NEW XF LENSES FOR THE X-PRO1 INTERCHANGEABLE LENS DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM

Valhalla, N.Y., June 25, 2012 (EMBARGO UNTIL 10:00 PM ET) – FUJIFILM North America Corporation today announced plans to offer an expanded selection of FUJINON XF lenses for the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera System that will offer a wide range of new shooting opportunities for professional and advanced photographers. From super wide single length focus to telephoto lenses, users will now be able to freely choose which XF lenses match their shooting style, and allow them to experience the extraordinary image quality of the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 in a variety of new ways.

Fall 2012

Beginning in the fall of 2012, Fujifilm will introduce two new bright and fast aperture prime FUJINON XF lenses: the XF14mm (21mm) F2.8 single focal length lens and the XF18mm-55mm (27-84mm) F2.8-F4 lens.

Each of the new XF lenses are designed to deliver sharp, clear images of unmatched quality with precise aperture control, and beautiful bokeh effects thanks to the design of the molded aperture diaphragm blades. The blades are curved to create a circular image at all aperture settings, while the very edges of each blade are meticulously rounded off rather than cut off, to deliver more pleasing images.

Early 2013

Then in early 2013, Fujifilm will also deliver three more high performance single focal length lenses that include the XF56mm (84mm) F1.4 lens, the pancake XF27mm (41mm) F2.8 lens and the XF23mm (35mm) F1.4 lens.

Middle 2013

Then in middle 2013, Fujifilm will launch a telephoto XF55mm-200mm (83-300mm) F3.5-F4.8 lens and the super wide zoom XF10mm-24mm (15-36mm) F4 lens, both with optical image stabilization.

“The FUJIFILM X-Pro1 is an amazing professional grade camera that delivers outstanding image quality, and we are very excited to announce our plans for an expanded line of new XF lenses that will bring even more functionally to the X-Pro1 system,” said Go Miyazaki, division president, Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “These new premium FUJIFILM XF lenses are designed to deliver stunning image results, and they also fit seamlessly with the build and beauty of the FUJIFILM X-Pro1.”

The award-winning FUJIFILM X-Pro1 digital camera features a custom-developed 16MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensorTM that incorporates a newly developed filter array and Fujifilm’s proprietary EXR Processor technology. The FUJIFILM X-Pro1 delivers superlative image quality that rivals currently available mid and high-end DSLR models. The FUJIFILM X-Pro1 also features the unmatched 2nd Generation Hybrid Multi Viewfinder, a gorgeous magnesium alloy chassis, and an improved user interface for easy and intuitive operation.

The post Fujifilm shows X-Pro1 lens roadmap with a stabilized zoom and an ultra-wide prime coming this fall first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Meet the Nexus Q: An Android powered social streaming media player

2012-06-27T17:53:12Z

Google had more hardware surprises in-store during its Google I/O 2012 opening keynote. Besides the Nexus 7 tablet, Google is also releasing the Nexus Q.

The Nexus Q is black spherical Android powered mini-computer, which Google calls the first social streaming medial player. Inside is an OMAP 4460 SoC, the same one that powers the Galaxy Nexus (full review right here), dual-band Wi-Fi, ethernet, NFC and Bluetooth.

It has a built-in audiophile-grade 25 watt amplifier together with optical and digital audio output and a micro-HDMI socket. It’s able to stream music, movies and TV series from the cloud with plenty of social interaction and discovery features.

The Nexus Q is available for pre-order starting today for $299 directly from the Google Play Store, though it’s US only for now, and will start shipping in July.

Here’s a video presentation of the Nexus Q

The post Meet the Nexus Q: An Android powered social streaming media player first appeared on Stuff-Review.

7-inch Google Nexus 7 tablet announced: quad-core Tegra 3 with 12-core GPU, 720p resolution for $199

2012-12-09T17:28:27Z

No surprises here. Google has officially unveiled the first Nexus tablet, a 7-inch slate made by ASUS and called the Nexus 7. It will of course launch with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on-board.

The device comes with a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC with a 12-core GPU, 1.2-megapixel front camera and 1280 x 800 resolution IPS LCD display. The asking price is $199 for the 8GB model and $249 to up that to 16GB. You can order it today directly from Google Play and shipping in mid-July together with the launch of Android Jelly Bean.

It weighs just 340 grams and comes fully loaded with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, gyroscope and an accelerometer. Battery life is a decent 9 hours of video play.

The Nexus 7 is a direct stab against Amazon’s Kindle Fire, with Google putting content at the forefront of the experience. Oh and it will ship with the Android Chrome browser as standard.

Google is also putting its faith in the Nexus 7 as a portable gaming device, with that 12-core GPU, gyroscope and accelerometer proving a rich gaming experience.

The post 7-inch Google Nexus 7 tablet announced: quad-core Tegra 3 with 12-core GPU, 720p resolution for $199 first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean official, here’s what’s new

2012-06-27T17:18:58Z

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean has just been announced on the stage of the opening keynote of Google I/O 2012.

Here’s a summary of what’s new:

Project Butter worked on performance and will make the Android experience much smoother thanks to faster rendering with the GPU and CPU working in parallel.
Icons move out of the way when you are moving other icons in or even widgets and widgets can auto-resize into available space.
Finally, you can voice type without a data connection!
Smarter notifications bar, so that you can start actions within it like calling back or sending a text or acting on reminders. You can even expand notifications with a multitouch gesture (two-finger drag) for rich contents. It works with other apps too, like tunein and Pulse.
Better and faster voice search that now works with natural language, like Siri.
A better Google Search experience called Google Now which provide rich and smart info on what Google calls ‘smart cards’. It can tell you which buses will arrive when you are standing at a bus terminal, calculate the time needed for your usual commute and give you a faster route if there is one based on live traffic, keep you up to date with a flight you recently searched for and more. The more you search, the smarter Google Now becomes. Pretty amazing stuff.

Android 4.1 Jelly bean will be coming to the Galaxy Nexus, Motorola Xoom and the Nexus S in mid July as an over the air (OTA) update but the SDK will be available today as a developer preview.

There are also a large number of changes to Google Play including a lot more content and now tv and magazines. We’ve particularly noted smart app updates, so that your device only downloads the part of an app that has changed, supported for Gingerbread and above, saving you battery and bandwidth.

The post Android 4.1 Jelly Bean official, here’s what’s new first appeared on Stuff-Review.

You can watch the Google I/O 2012 keynote and the introduction of Android 4.1 Jellybean live right here

2012-06-27T16:34:12Z

Mark your calendars, or even better set your automatic reminders. Google’s I/O 2012 developer event kicks-off on Wednesday 27th of June with the usual opening keynote. That’s where the search giant shows us what’s new and exciting in the Android world.

This year, the day one keynote will probably see the introduction of Android 4.1 Jellybean and a budget 7-inch Nexus Tablet.

We’re sure you won’t want to miss this event, and you can view the entire thing live right here.

Starting time is 9:30AM Pacific Time which equates to:

06:30AM – Hawaii
08:30AM – Alaska
09:30AM – Pacific
10:30AM – Mountain
11:30AM – Central
12:30PM – Eastern
01:30PM – Buenos Aires / Sao Paulo
05:30PM – London
06:30PM – Paris / Johannesburg
07:30PM – Athens / Cairo
08:30PM – Moscow
00:30AM – Beijing (June 28th)
01:30AM – Tokyo (June 28th)
02:30AM – Sydney (June 28th)

Some make sure to bookmark this page and join us here to see what’s cooking.

UPDATE: And we are live from the event!

The post You can watch the Google I/O 2012 keynote and the introduction of Android 4.1 Jellybean live right here first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mascot takes its place on Google’s Mountain View lawn

2012-06-27T12:38:02Z

Well it can’t get any more official than this. We’ve been hearing and we’ve speculating on Android Jelly Bean (or Jellybean) since last year and with its official unveiling just a day away a new sculpture has taken its place on the lawn in front of Building 44 at Google’s Mountain View campus.

The pot of giant spilled jelly beans that you see above was spotted this morning taking it’s place next to the infamous Cupcake (Android 1.5), Donut (1.5), Eclair (2.0/2.1), Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3), Honeycomb (3.x) and finally Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) mascots.

Jelly Bean has more or less been confirmed as Android 4.1, so it should be more of an incremental step to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, instead of the huge amount of new features we saw during the introduction of the latter.

As with previous Android iterations, Android Jelly Bean will be partnered with a new Google Nexus device, the 7-inch Nexus 7 tablet made by ASUS that will probably be a $200 Kindle Fire competitor.

Not too much longer to wait, you can view the day one keynote live at 9:30AM Pacific Time on Wednesday, June 27th.

[Google+]The post Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mascot takes its place on Google’s Mountain View lawn first appeared on Stuff-Review.

iOS 6: iCloud with iTunes Match now streams your music directly from the cloud

2012-06-13T23:03:40Z

Out of all the cloud storage music services, Apple’s iCloud is by far our favorite and this is mainly because of iTunes Match. Uploading and syncing even a moderately sized music library is generally a hassle, and I gave up on uploading mine to Google Music half-way, I only keep around 500 songs there.

Instead, with iTunes Match all your music becomes immediately available in iCloud as long as it has been matched to music on Apple’s servers. In addition your cloud copies are available in higher definition 256kbps AAC format irrespective of the quality of your local files and we’ve even showed you how you can easily upgrade all your local music using iTunes Match here.

Our single biggest annoyance with iCloud and iTunes Match has been that in order to listen to your cloud-stored music on an iOS device, i.e. iPad, iPhone etc., the song would first have to fully download to your device and then played. This meant a delay between selecting a track and actually listening to it, and it also filled up your device’s storage with the downloaded files.

Well one of the new features in iOS 6, and one that had generally slipped by, is the ability to now actually stream music directly from iCloud.

The new feature is already present in iOS 6 beta and selecting a track means that it starts streaming and immediately playing. You can also select to download tracks individually as a separate option for offline listening.

The post iOS 6: iCloud with iTunes Match now streams your music directly from the cloud first appeared on Stuff-Review.

WWDC 2012 highlights: All the new Apple hardware, Mountain Lion and iOS 6 in 80 seconds (video)

2012-06-12T21:57:33Z

Apple showed off a ton of new hardware, including updated MacBook Airs and standard MacBook Pros and the new thinner 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, during yesterday’s WWDC 2012 keynote. It also delved deeper into OS X Mountain Lion and unveiled iOS 6.

You can actually watch the entire event right here, which runs just shy of two hours, but we if you are pressed for time there is a better option. Below is an 80 second video containing all the major highlights of the event. Be warned that it does get slightly too fast for the average human at times.

The post WWDC 2012 highlights: All the new Apple hardware, Mountain Lion and iOS 6 in 80 seconds (video) first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Google Nexus 7 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet confirmed by ASUS representative for June

2012-06-27T07:22:34Z

We’ve been hearing about a Google Nexus tablet since the beginning of the year, with ASUS apparently being the manufacturer of the economical 7-inch slab that could be appropriately named, Nexus 7.

Well we now apparently have confirmation of the partnership between ASUS and Google from the mouth of a representative of the former at Computex in Taipei. The Nexus 7 tablet is expected to be ready for shipment by the end of June, happily coinciding with Google I/O running June 27-29 in San Fransisco, and the perfect platform to announce the next version of Android.

This will be the first tablet to carry the Nexus name, following the Nexus One, Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus smartphones, and you can be sure it will be carrying a stock version of Android. In fact it’s been rumored to become the carrier of the next big version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (you can read more here about Android’s naming convention).

Similar to the ASUS ME370T 7-inch tablet that was presented at CES this year, the Nexus 7 will be running on Nvidia’s Tegra 3 quad-core SoC. The important piece of information here is that the device is expect to retail for around $150 to $250, putting it against other budget 3rd-party Android tablets like the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet.

Finally, an entry on a benchmark site points to a resolution of 1200×768 for a Google Nexus 7 device with a code name ‘Grouper’ running Android 4.1.

The post Google Nexus 7 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet confirmed by ASUS representative for June first appeared on Stuff-Review.

iOS 6 beta developer links surface pointing to dropped support for the original iPad

2012-06-10T22:39:04Z

With Apple’s developer conference kicking in less than twenty-four hours from now, and with the confirmation that Apple will to unveil iOS 6, a bunch of iOS 6 beta links have just dropped.

Chinese forum WeiPhone has published a full list of links hosted on Apple’s developer resources website pointing to iOS 6 beta .dmg and .zip files for a variety of devices. Obviously the links are not working, but interestingly instead of a ‘url not found’ error the website simply points to an expired session, i.e. this could be the real thing.

The beta build is 10a5316k and after a quick glance, there’s the obvious omission of the original iPad (and the third-generation iPod touch). Generally, Apple continues to provide software updates for devices long after their initial release but cutting off updates would make sense in terms of maintaining an acceptable experience for these devices.

Interestingly the iPhone 3GS is still in the list of devices, despite having an older SoC than the original iPad, but the issue with the latter could be the higher resolution. Whatever happens, we’ll definitely know more tomorrow.

Here’s the full list of iOS 6 related links:

3rd generation iPad
– dmg: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi + Cellular (GSM), WiFi + Cellular (CDMA)
– zip: Wi-Fi, WiFi + Cellular (GSM), WiFi + Cellular (CDMA)

iPad 2
– dmg: Wi-Fi, WiFi + 3G (GSM), WiFi + 3G (CDMA), Revised Wi-Fi
– zip: Wi-Fi, WiFi + 3G (GSM), WiFi + 3G (CDMA), Revised Wi-Fi

iPhone
– dmg: 4S, 4 (GSM), 4 (CDMA), 3GS
– zip: 4S, 4 (GSM), 4 (CDMA), 3GS

iPod touch
– dmg: 4th Generation
– zip: 4th Generation

Apple TV
– dmg: 2nd Generation, 3rd Generation

Other
– iOS 6 Beta Guide (PDF)
– Installing Apple TV Software (PDF)

[Source: WeiPhone, image credit: Cnet]The post iOS 6 beta developer links surface pointing to dropped support for the original iPad first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Motorola Droid RAZR HD leaked with 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and 720p display

2012-06-10T19:29:10Z

The upcoming Motorola Droid RAZR HD hasn’t really been kept a secret. The Verizon-bound handset has received several earlier leaks but this latest one is the most comprehensive yet.

The successor to the extremely popular Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR MAXX maintains some of its siblings’ looks, as you can see from the leaked photos above. The back cover has the familiar Kevlar pattern, though it now extends across the back of the device. Gone is the hump of the previous generation and the rear camera is now centered at the top of the device.

Motorola had touted the thinness of the original Droid RAZR when it was released, though later traded some of it for an extended 3,300 mAh in the RAZR MAXX. We loved the full day battery and so did many of you. Well, as you can see from the images, Motorola isn’t making the same mistake again, and the Droid RAZR HD seems to slide between the RAZR and the RAZR MAXX in terms of thinness. Thus we can assume that inside we still might find a beefy battery.

In terms of specs, the RAZR HD is said to be packing a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC and a large display with a 720p resolution; the RAZR certainly lacked in the display department and the tipster claims the new screen is amazing. The rear camera is said to be of the 13-megapixel variety and capable of HD video as well. Of course the smartphone will be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

The Verizon iteration will surely come with 4G LTE connectivity, with the familiar logo on the back of the device. If you are with AT&T keep in mind that a pretty identical device has also just been leaked, the Atrix 3.

No details on availability though you might be looking at a late summer release.

[via DroidLife]The post Motorola Droid RAZR HD leaked with 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and 720p display first appeared on Stuff-Review.

WWDC 2012: iOS 6 revealed by signage, OS X Mountain Lion, and even new Mac computer hardware

2012-06-10T12:37:30Z

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you would know that Apple’s annual developer conference WWDC 2012 is due next week. There have been a ton of rumors including new thinner and retina display MacBook Pros, Ivy Bridge donned MacBook Airs, refreshed iMacs and even, finally, a refreshed Mac Pro desktop, but make no mistake WWDC is all about software.

The event will certainly see the official unveiling of OS X Mountain Lion, Apple’s desktop/laptop operating system. Last year we got OS X Lion at WWDC 2011 and we wouldn’t expect anything less this year. Many of the features of OS X Mountain Lion are already known thanks to a number of developer releases. You can expect an even more iOS’ified experience with the new Notification Center, iMessaging, Game Center and Airplay Mirroring.

However we have a feeling that the event we will ultimately center around iOS 6, Apple’s mobile device OS. There have been rumors of a new iOS appearance in WWDC 2012, and this has now been confirmed by signage put up ahead of the event at Moscone West in San Francisco.

iOS 5, previewed last June for the first time, was a big step for Apple but undoubtedly Google has been increasing the pressure with its own yearly release cycle and the launch of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich last year. Ice Cream Sandwich was such a big leap that we had included it in our list of the best technology for 2011.

Now what we can expect from iOS 6 is pretty much unknown. Siri could finally break free from iPhone 4S and land on the iPad, there’s rumors that Apple TV could get its own App Store and we could also see more Facebook integration built into the OS. Other rumors include iCloud Tabs, whereby you’ll have access to your open tabs in Safari across all iCloud-connected devices, a new “Do Not Disturb” feature for the Notification Center and redesigned stock iTunes and iBooks apps and the App Store — thankfully! Oh and Apple is expected to drop Google Maps and use its own new in-house developed variety with 3D abilities.

We’re hoping for big bold changes across iOS but seeing that the operating system has matured substantially we could be seeing more refinement rather than any major changes.

Finally, could we close without mentioning the iPhone 5? Well of course the rumor mill continues to spin, with a larger taller 4-inch screen being the standing rumor at the moment. We would reason however that a new iPhone would deserve its own event, so we think its unlikely we’ll see it next week.

(photo credit: Cnet)

The post WWDC 2012: iOS 6 revealed by signage, OS X Mountain Lion, and even new Mac computer hardware first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Netgear NeoTV Pro HD media player makes your TV smart, brings Intel WiDi for $69.99

2012-06-07T20:03:39Z

We know smart TVs are all the rage right now but you don’t need to rush out and buy a new set. You can actually get all of the functionality from an increasing selection of inconspicuous media player boxes. The latest entrant is the NTV200S NeoTV Pro from Netgear, that will surely put some pressure on the current incumbent, the Roku.

The NeoTV Pro streaming player comes loaded with 10/100 ethernet, built-in Wi-Fi 300 Mbps (802.11 b/g/n), HDMI video out and the ability to stream up to 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound from a variety of online sources like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, YouTube and Pandora. Similar to previous Netgear offerings, you can additionally install a suite of apps and games, including Facebook and Twitter.

There’s also support for Intel WiDi so you can wirelessly mirror the screen of a compatible laptop onto your television — for WiDi compatibility you should be looking for an Intel Core processor backed by a Centrino N wireless chip.

The NeoTV Pro does come with a standard remote, but you can also get the free NeoTV remote control app for your iOS or Android device. The most interesting part? You can get all this now for just $69.99.

The post Netgear NeoTV Pro HD media player makes your TV smart, brings Intel WiDi for $69.99 first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Samsung Galaxy S III receives the teardown treatment

2012-06-03T14:23:39Z

We love using our gadgets, you know when they are actually fully assembled and functioning, but we also have a bizarre affinity to watching them get torn down into dozens of separate parts giving us a glimpse of what’s inside.

The latest device to have received the teardown treatment is none other than the hero smartphone of the moment, the Samsung Galaxy S III. As usual the good folks over at iFixit did the slicing and dicing, which has revealed a number of tasty bites.

First off, the Galaxy S III is surprisingly easy to open, with a number of standard Phillips screws holding it together. Inside you will find the motherboard assembly, the 4.8-inch PenTile Matrix Super AMOLED display (be sure to check out our comparison between PenTile Matrix Super AMOLED and standard RGB LCD display technologies) that is optically laminated to the Gorilla Glass 2 fortified glass and the 8-megapixel rear camera assembly.

You might want to know that for the camera, Samsung has opted for a Sony backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, similar to the one used in the iPhone 4S and Xperia Arc.

Other parts include:

Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core A9 SoC with 1 GB LP DDR2 Green Memory (K3PE7E700M-XGC2)
Murata M2322007 WiFi Module
Samsung KMVTU000LM eMMC(16GB)+MDDR(64MB) NAND Flash
Intel Wireless PMB9811X Gold Baseband processor
Broadcom BCM47511 Integrated Monolithic GNSS Receiver
Wolfson Microelectronics WM1811 stereo codec
Skyworks SKY77604 Multi-Band Power amplifier
Silicon Image 9244 low-power MHL Transmitter
NXP PN544 NFC Chip
Infineon PMB5712 RF transceiver

Now we’re certainly impressed.

[iFixit]The post Samsung Galaxy S III receives the teardown treatment first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Adobe Lightroom updated to 4.1 with new awesome camera support

2012-05-30T18:49:53Z

If you’ve been holding your breath for support of your new Canon 5D Mark III, Fujifilm X-Pro1, Nikon D800 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 in Adobe Lightroom, the day has finally come. Adobe has just released version 4.1 of the photo management software with support for the above named cameras, which just happen to be some of the best cameras out there right now.

The new update also brings a number of new features, like the ability to process HDR Tiff files, additional color fringing corrections and new export options. As usual, there are also several bug fixes with the new version. To update, simply launch Adobe Lightroom 4 or head over here for the download.

Here’s the full list of changes in Adobe Lightroom 4.1:

The ability to process HDR TIFF files. (16, 24 orr 32-bit TIFF files)
Additional Color Fringing corrections to help address chromatic aberration.
Save photobooks created in the Book Module to JPEG.
Publishing photos to Adobe Revel is now accessible via a Publish plugin.
Additional camera support for several new cameras including the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Fujifilm X-Pro1, Nikon D800, and Olympus OM-D E-M5.
Corrections for issues introduced in previous versions in Lightroom.

The post Adobe Lightroom updated to 4.1 with new awesome camera support first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Micro Four Thirds lens announced, already receiving flying colors reviews

2012-05-25T07:50:02Z

We first saw the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Micro Four Thirds lens at CES this year, but back then it was still a concept. Today Panasonic has officially announced the new lens which should begin shipping in late July, though the US release date seems to fall sometime in August.

This is the first fast constant aperture zoom lens for the Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera system, so this is big news for fans of the system. The Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 lens belongs to the Panasonic’s premium X lens series and with an equivalent 24-70mm focal length on a full-frame camera it covers a nice range from wide to short telefocus.

Being a Micro Four Thirds lens it’s much smaller than equivalent APS-C DSLR lenses. We’re looking at a total length of 73.8mm (2.9inch) and a weight of 305g (10.8oz). The lens is made of premium plastic and a metal mount and it’s also weather sealed, making it an ideal match for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 (or at least until Panasonic releases its own weather sealed camera). The lens also has optical image stabilization and a silent focusing motor.

In terms of design you are looking at 14 lens elements (4 aspherical) in 9 groups and a 7-bladed circular diaphragm. The filter size is 58mm.

As we had previously reported the lens should retail for around $1,300 in the US, £999 in the UK and €1,100 in Europe, which is in line with pro-level 24-70mm equivalent zoom lenses for other systems.

The lens has already received a couple of favorable reviews, with both ePHOTOzine and DSLRmagazine (Spanish) praising it for its overall excellent sharpness, low distortion even at 12mm and general absence of chromatic aberrations.

UPDATE: Pre-orders are already up for the US here.

[Panasonic, top image credit: DSLRmagazine]The post Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Micro Four Thirds lens announced, already receiving flying colors reviews first appeared on Stuff-Review.

Stuff-Review

Fujifilm X100S camera announced with fast AF and new 16.3MP X-Trans II sensor (hands-on video)

Summary specifications:

Hands-on video (includes autofocus speed and manual focus peaking assist and digital split image demos)

Specs overview video

Supposed Sony Nexus X images leak

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Gallery: Fujifilm X-E1

Gallery: Fujifilm X-E1

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Meet the Nexus Q: An Android powered social streaming media player

Here’s a video presentation of the Nexus Q

7-inch Google Nexus 7 tablet announced: quad-core Tegra 3 with 12-core GPU, 720p resolution for $199

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean official, here’s what’s new

You can watch the Google I/O 2012 keynote and the introduction of Android 4.1 Jellybean live right here

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mascot takes its place on Google’s Mountain View lawn

iOS 6: iCloud with iTunes Match now streams your music directly from the cloud

WWDC 2012 highlights: All the new Apple hardware, Mountain Lion and iOS 6 in 80 seconds (video)

Google Nexus 7 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet confirmed by ASUS representative for June

iOS 6 beta developer links surface pointing to dropped support for the original iPad

Motorola Droid RAZR HD leaked with 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and 720p display

WWDC 2012: iOS 6 revealed by signage, OS X Mountain Lion, and even new Mac computer hardware

Netgear NeoTV Pro HD media player makes your TV smart, brings Intel WiDi for $69.99

Samsung Galaxy S III receives the teardown treatment

Adobe Lightroom updated to 4.1 with new awesome camera support

Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 Micro Four Thirds lens announced, already receiving flying colors reviews